Assembly of attachments and device for attaching same

ABSTRACT

The assembly includes first and second parallel connecting bars between which individual attachments are situated in parallel, spaced relation. Each of the attachments includes first and second T-bar ends with a flexible filament extending therebetween. The attaching device includes a housing with a recess having a first and second sections adapted to receive the first and second connecting bars, respectively. First and second hollow needles extend from the housing. The T-bar ends are pushed through needles by simultaneously actuatable ejector rods after each is severed from the associated connecting bar. The assembly of the attachments is advanced through the housing to align the T-bars with the needles by simultaneously actuated indexing gears. The gears cooperate with the elements which join the T-bar ends and the connecting bars.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.347,419, filed May 4, 1989, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to plastic attachments and to a device forattaching same and more particularly to a uniquely configured assemblyof attachments which includes spaced, parallel connecting bars betweenwhich attachments having T-bar ends are situated in parallel, spacedrelation and for a specially design device for attaching same.

Before modern tag attaching systems were commercialized, tags and thelike were attached to garments and other soft goods by strings orstraight pins. However, because of the vast number of items tagged bymanufacturers and retail merchandisers and because of the relativelylarge amount of labor which is required to attach a tag by a string or apin, new tagging systems were developed which increased the speed of thetagging operation and made it more efficient by decreasing the time andlabor required.

The first tagging system was commercialized in the 1960's when DennisonManufacturing Company of Framingham, Mass. began selling an assembly orclip of plastic attachments and an attacher therefore, both of which aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,666 of Sep. 16, 1963 to Arnold Boneentitled "Attaching Apparatus". Those attachments included a T-bar endand and enlarged paddled end connected by a flexible filament which isstretched to increase its strength. The attachments are injectionmoulded in clips or assemblies of 20 to 50 attachments each. Theattachments are held together by means of a single connecting bar. TheT-bar ends of the attachments are situated in spaced, parallel relationalong the connecting bar.

The attaching device employs a hollow needle designed to penetrate theobject to be tagged and the tag. After the needle was properlypositioned, a single attachment was severed from the assembly and theT-bar end thereof is pushed through the channel in the needle such thatthe T-bar end of the attachment is situated on one side of the garmentand the paddle end of the fastener on the other.

The attachments of the type described in the Bone patent became widelyused in the industry. They were employed for attaching all kinds of tagsand labels to articles to be sold at retail, where the attachmentsproved particularly effective in preventing unscrupulous shoppers fromswitching tags, that is, removing a tag from a low priced article andattaching it to a higher priced article. They are used as well forsecuring groups of articles together, such as shoes in a pair ormatching tops and bottoms. The attachments were also useful for manyother purposes.

The attachments could be applied at an extremely rapid rate, even byrelatively unskilled personnel, thus greatly reducing the cost of thetagging operation. Over the years, other companies have distributedsimilar types of attachments and attaching devices. This type of systemhas virtually surplanted all other attaching methods.

As the attachments because widely used, it was noticed that the oneswith longer filaments especially had a tendency to become tangled withother attachments in the assembly and with the attachments in adjacentassemblies particularly during shipping and handling. In order toovercome this problem, a structure was devised by which the attachmentsare connected together at their enlarged paddle ends, as well as attheir T-bar ends. In the commercial embodiment of the so called"connected paddle" type, the enlarged paddle ends are connected togetherdirectly, instead of indirectly through the use of a connecting bar. The"connected paddle" attachment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,657entitled "Assembly of Attachments and Methods for Manipulating the Same"issued to Gordon B. Lankton on May 22, 1973. It quickly became anindustry standard.

The Lankton patent also discloses an embodiment, as far as I know nevercommercialized, which utilizes a connecting bar on the paddle end aswell as on the T-bar end. However, unlike the T-bar ends, the enlargedpaddle ends are connected directly without spacing elements to theconnecting bar.

In the 1970's, a new form of attachment and device for attaching samecame into being. Instead of forming the attachments in clips of twentyor fifty parallel spaced attachments, strips of continuously connectedcoplanar attachments are formed by elongated plastic side members withcross coupling links. In this case, the attachments were situated end toend in a single plane. The ends were connected directly together,eliminating the connecting bars altogether.

These coplanar attachments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,487 toArnold Bone entitled "Continuously Connected Fastener Attachment Stock"issued Oct. 24, 1978. That patent also discloses an attacher for thecoplanar attachments. The commercial attacher sold by Dennison whichuses this type of attachment is called the System 1000. The attachmentsin the System 1000 are supplied in a roll.

Also with the 1970's another form of coplanar attachment was invented.The attachments consisted of two T-bar ends and where connected directlytogether at the tip of the T-bars to form continuous stock which couldbe rolled. These attachments were designed to be used in a mannersimilar to that of staples or tacks because both T-bar ends are situatedon one side of the object to be tagged with the filament on the otherside. In order to accomplish this the attachments were structured to bedispensed through devices which include two needles such that the T-barsare fed through the needles simultaneously. Here again, no connectingbars are employed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,648 entitled "Fastener AttachmentApparatus and Method" issued Apr. 8, 1975 to Arnold R. Bone disclosessuch attachments and apparatus for attaching same.

The present invention, in general, relates to a differently configuredattachment assembly designed for uses similar to that of the attachmentsdisclosed in the Bone patent referred to in the previous paragraph and auniquely designed device for attaching the attachments. The assembly ofattachments of the present invention includes first and secondconnecting bars between which attachments are situated in spaced,parallel relation. Each attachment has a first and a second T-bar end.The ends are joined by a flexible filament.

Unlike the original Bone fasteners, applicant's attachments include twoconnecting bars. Each of the T-bar ends is connected to a different oneof the connecting bars. Unlike the Lankin converted paddle fasteners,the attachments of two present inventions have T-bars at both ends whichare joined to and spaced from two connecting bars. Unlike the continuousstock fasteners, the attachments of the present invention includeconnecting bars and are situated in parallel, spaced relation instead ofcontiguous, coplanar relation.

The attaching device of the present invention includes a recess whichhas spaced portions adapted to accept the connecting bars, respectively.This structure permits the attachments to move through the attachingdevice with greater precision and reduced chance of jamming. Theattaching device includes simultaneously movable ejector rods, both ofwhich are connected to a single actuator. In addition, dual indexingmeans cooperate with the assemblies, proximate each side thereof, suchthat the indexing operation is smooth and reliable.

The system of the present invention is particularly useful in applyingattachments for tacking or stapling labels or headers to articles orpackaging. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that thereare a multitude of other uses to which the present invention is suited.

It is, therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide anassembly of attachments which have T-bars at either end and are situatedin spaced, parallel relation between two connecting bars.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device fordispensing attachments situated in parallel, spaced relation between theconnecting bars.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device fordispensing attachments which includes dual injector rods which aresimultaneously actuated.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device fordispensing attachments wherein dual indexing means are provided tocooperate with opposite ends of the attachments.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an assembly ofattachments is provided including first and second substantiallyparallel connecting bars between which individual attachments aresituated in substantially parallel, spaced relation. Each of theattachments includes first and second T-bar ends with a substantiallyflexible filament extending therebetween.

Means are provided for joining the first T-bar end in spaced relationwith the first connecting bar. Similarly, means are provided for joiningthe second T-bar end in spaced relation with the second connecting bar.

The connecting bars are situated in a plane substantially perpendicularto the planes in which the attachments are situated. Preferably, theconnecting bars and the attachments are integral and composed of moldedplastic.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a device isprovided for dispensing attachments of the type having first and secondT-bar ends with a flexible filament therebetween, the attachments beingsupplied in an assembly between first and second spaced connecting barsjoined to the first and second T-bar ends, respectively. The deviceincludes a housing. A recess in the housing has first and second spacedsections adapted to receive the first and second connecting bars,respectively. First and second hollow needles extend from the housing.Each of the needles includes a channel through which a different one ofthe T-bar ends is adapted to move. Means are provided within the housingfor pushing the T-bar ends through the needles to dispense anattachment. Means are provided for severing each of the T-bar ends fromthe connecting bars to which it is joined, prior to being dispensed.Means are provided for advancing the assembly of attachments through thehousing.

The means for pushing the T-bar ends preferably includes first andsecond ejector rods displaceable relative to the needles and means forsimultaneously displacing the ejector rods.

The means for simultaneously displacing the ejector rods includes meansmounted for movement relative to the housing between a first positionwhere the rods are spaced from the needles and a second position wherethe rods are situated within the channels. This means includesdepressable means and slide means operably connected to the depressablemeans for movement in response to the actuation of the depressablemeans. Both rods are operably connected to the slide means.

The advancing means include second slide means operably connected to thedepressable means and movable in the response to the actuation of thedepressable means. First and second gear means are located in thehousing intersecting the recess. The first and second gear means areadapted to engage the assembly proximate first and second connectingbars, respectively. Means are provided for simultaneously indexing thefirst and second gear means in response to the movement of the secondslide means.

The first and second needles are substantially oppositely oriented. Thehousing has first and second guide means associated with the first andsecond ejector rods, respectively.

To these and such other objects which may hereinafter appear, thepresent invention relates to an assembly of attachments and a device forattaching same as disclosed in detail on the following specification, asrecited in the claims and taken together with the accompanying drawings,wherein like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the attacher of the present inventionshowing an attachment anchored in sheets of material;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal mechanism of theattacher of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the forward portion of theattacher of the present invention showing the indexing mechanism beforeactuation of the trigger;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the indexing mechanismafter actuation of the trigger;

FIG. 5 is a top cross-sectional view of the portion of the attachershown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the attacher showing an attachment beinganchored;

FIG. 7 is a top view similar to FIG. 6 but showing a more advanced stagein the anchoring process;

FIG. 8 is a top cross-sectional view of this portion of the attachershown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an assembly of attachments in accordancewith the present invention.

As shown in the figures, the attacher of the present invention includesa housing generally designated A, which has two halves 10 and 12. Thehousing havles 10, 12 are substantially mirror images of each other andare fastened together by a series of screws 14.

Housing A is generally pistol shaped and has a handle 16 with adepressable trigger 18 extending from its forward portion. The front ofhousing A has a pair of oppositely oriented needles 20, 22 extendingtherefrom in spaced parallel relation. The forward portion of housing Ais provided with a recess 24 which extends there through in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the plane of needles 20 and 22. Recess 24 hasa generally "H" shaped configuration and includes spaced portions 26, 28adapted to receive the connecting bars 30, 32, respectively, of theassembly of attachments, generally designated B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, each assembly B of attachments includes aplurality of attachments 36 situated in a substantially spaced, parallelrelation and connected between connecting bars 30 and 32. Each of theattachments includes first and second T-bar ends 38, 40. The T-bar endsare connected by a thin stretched plastic flexible filament 39.

In order to anchor an attachment to layers of material 42, 44, such as atag and an article of clothing, the layers are held in face-to-facerelation. The attacher is manipulated such that the material andattacher are moved relative to each other until needles 20, 22 penetratethe layers. Trigger 18 is actuated causing T-bars 38 and 40 to movethrough hollow needles 20 and 22.

As is apparent from FIGS. 6 and 7, as the T-bar ends 38 and 40 traveldown the channels in needles 20 and 22 they are substantially parallelto each other. As they release from the channels, the T-bar ends pivotback to their original orientation, parallel to the surface of thelayers, as filament 39 bows. The T-bar ends thereafter lodge adjacentthe rear surface of the layers, as shown in FIG. 1. The attacher andmaterial are then moved away from each other, leaving the attachmentanchored. As Trigger 18 is released, the internal indexing mechanism ofthe attacher advances the assembly of attachments through recess 24 inhousing A such that the next attachment in the assembly aligns withneedles 20 and 22.

As seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8, trigger 18 is pivotally mounted tothe housing by pin 46. Trigger 18 is pivotally connected to lever 48 bypin 50 located near the lower end of lever 48 which cooperates with slot49 in lever 48 to provide for a lost motion connection. Lever 48 ismovably mounted to housing A proximate its mid section by pin 52. Lever48 and thus trigger 18 and spring loaded towards the undepressedposition shown in FIG. 2 by means of a tension spring 54 connectedbetween lever 48 at point 56 and housing A at point 58.

The upper end of lever 48 is bifuricated with the legs 48a and 48bassociated with a different one of two slides 60a, 60b. Each slide 60a,60b is situated between a pair of guides 62 and 64 on each housing half10, 12 for movement within housing A. Slides 60a, 60b have aperturesadapted to accept the ends of ejector rods 66, 68 respectively. Each ofthe ejector rods 66, 68 is bent at a right angle near its rear end so asto fit into the respective apertures in slides 60a, 60b. It will beappreciated from FIG. 2 that the upper end of leg 48a of lever 48 has anelongated opening 70 therein so as to accommodate the ejector rod andits sleeve as lever 48 is pivoted about pin 52.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, before trigger 18 is actuated, ejectorrods 66 and 68 are situated behind needles 20 and 22, a distancesufficient to permit the T-bar ends 38, 40 of an attachment to bepositioned in alignment with the channels of the respective needles 20,22. When trigger 18 is actuated, lever 48 rotates about pin 52 andslides 60a, 60b move forward. As slides 60a, 60b move forward, ejectorrods 66 and 68 are simultaneously moved toward needles 20, 22 such thatthe rods cause the T-bar ends 38, 40 of the attachment to move throughthe channels of needles 20 and 22, respectively.

Each housing half 10, 12 is provided with two ejector rod guide members61 or 63. Members 61, 63 function to guide the movement of ejector rods66, 68 to insure accurate movement and to eliminate jamming or bendingof the rods.

Each half 10, 12 of housing A is provided with a knife blade 72 which ispreferably removable from the housing so that it can be replaced whendull. The function of knife blade 72 is to sever the T-bar ends of theattachments from their respective connecting bars as the ejector rodpushes the T-bar end of the attachment through the needle.

As best seen in FIG. 9, the T-bar ends 38, 40 of the attachments 36 areconnected to and spaced from the respective connecting bars 30, 32 bybridge elements 74 which is relatively thin. Elements 74 are long enoughto space the T-bar ends from the connecting bar associated therewith adistance sufficient to permit engagement of the bridge element by thegear wheels which make up the indexing mechanism. As seen in FIGS. 3 and4, bridge elements 74 cooperate with the teeth of indexing gears 78 toadvance the assembly of attachments through the housing. Two indexinggears 78 are provided, one on each side of the housing. Each cooperateswith the bridge element 74 on a different side of the attachment.

The fastener indexing means includes first and second parallellysituated mechanisms one of which is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Forsimplicity, the operation of only one indexing mechanism will bedescribed, it being understood that both mechanisms are operatedsimultaneously by the movement of a single trigger 18.

Each indexing mechanism includes an indexing gear 78 rotatably mountedto the housing half. Gear 78 cooperates with lower and upper springloaded pawls 80, 82 also mounted in that housing half. Each of the lowerpawls 80 is pivotably mounted on a portion 84 of slide 86 by pin 87. Aspring 81 urges the pawl 80 clockwise, such that tooth 83 normallyengages gear 78. Slide 86 is reciprocated relative to the housing astrigger 18 is depressed, moving pawl 80 between the position shown inFIG. 3 and that shown in FIG. 4.

As best seen in FIG. 2, slide portion 86 has a recessed portion 88 intowhich the upper portion of one of the legs of lever 48 is receivedforming a lost motion connection with lever 48 such that a relativelylarge amount of movement of lever 48 results in a relatively smallmovement of slide 86 and hence slide portion 84. At the bottom of slide86 is a downwardly projecting finger 90 which cooperates with a springloaded lever 92 to limit the movement of the slide. As lever 48 is movedforward, lever 92 is cammed out of the way so that slide 86 and slideportion 84 can move forwardly. As slide portion 84 moves forward, finger83 on pawl 80 is cammed over one of the teeth of gear 78, against theaction of spring 81, until slide portion 86 reaches its forward mostposition, as shown in FIG. 4. During the forward motion of slide 86,gear 78 is held motionless by upper pawl 82 which is spring loadedtowards the gear by spring 95.

As trigger 18 is released, lever 48 is rotated clockwise due to theaction of spring 54, slide 86 moves rearwardly. Spring 81 urges tooth 83of pawl 80 into engagement with the teeth of gear 78, and gear 78rotates through an arc sufficient to bring the next attachment 36 intoalignment with the needles. This occur because pawl 82 is cammed againstthe action of spring 95, allowing gear 78 to rotate in thecounterclockwise direction.

Upper pawl 82 normally prevents movement of the gear 78 in the clockwisedirection unless it is manually pivoted in a clockwise direction bydepression of projection 98. Projection 98 extends above the housingsuch that it is manually accessible. When projection 98 is depressed,finger 85 of pawl 82 and finger 83 of pawl 80 (because extension 96 ofpawl 82 contacts extension 94 of pawl 80 to rotate the latter in aclockwise direction) are no longer enmeshed in the teeth of gear 78,such that gear 78 can move freely. This permits the assembly ofattachments to be removed from the housing.

The indexing mechanism and the ejector mechanism illustrated in thedrawings are modified versions of typical corresponding mechanisms whichhave been widely used in single needle attachers. With regard to thepresent invention, the important aspect is that the mechanism providesfor simultaneous ejection and indexing of specially configuredattachments with dual T-bars 38, 40.

The present invention relates to an assembly of attachments whichincludes attachments with T-bars at either end. The attachments aresituated in substantially parallel, spaced relation between first andsecond substantially parallel connecting bars.

The attacher of the present invention includes a recess having spacedsections adapted to receive the connecting bars and a pair of oppositelyoriented, parallel needles extending from the front thereof.Simultaneously displaceable ejector rods serve to move the respectiveT-bar ends through the needles to dispense an attachment. Means areprovided for indexing the assembly through the housing as eachattachment is dispensed. The attachments are automatically severed fromthe connecting bars as they are dispensed.

While only a limited number of preferred embodiments of the presentinvention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it isobvious that many variations and modifications could be made thereto. Itis intended to cover all of these variations and modifications wouldfall within the scope of the present invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

I claim:
 1. An assembly of attachments comprising first and secondsubstantially parallel connecting bars between which individualattachments are situated in substantially parallel, spaced relation,each of said attachments comprising first and second substantiallycylindrical T-bar ends with a substantially flexible filament extendingtherebetween.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising means forjoining said first substantially cylindrical T-bar end to said firstconnecting bar and means for joining said second T-bar end to saidsecond connecting bar.
 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said joiningmeans comprises bridge elements.
 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein saidconnecting bars are situated in a plane substantially perpendicular toplanes in which said attachments are situated.
 5. The assembly of claim1 wherein said connecting bars and said attachments are integral.
 6. Theassembly of claim 1 wherein said attachments and said connecting barsare composed of molded plastic.
 7. For use with a tagging device of thetype having first and second hollow needles through which thesubstantially cylindrical T-bar ends of attachments are respectivelydispensed, an assembly of attachments comprising first and secondsubstantially parallel connecting bars between which individualattachments are situated in substantially parallel, spaced relation,each of said attachments comprising first and second substantiallycylindrical T-bar ends with a substantially flexible filament extendingtherebetween and means for joining each of said T-bar ends, of each ofsaid attachments, to a different one of said connecting bars.